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Web-based inquiry learning: Facilitating thoughtful literacy with WebQuests by Chinwe. Ikpeze and Fenice B. Boyd

Reading literature, reading text, reading the internet: The times they are a'changing by Linda B. Gambrell

Using Web-based bookmarks in K-8 settings: Linking the Internet to instruction by Leighann S. Forbes

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BY CHINWE. IKPEZE AND FENICE B. BOYDA WebQuest promotes thoughtful literacy because it enables learners to process information using a variety of complex thinking skills (Bradshaw, Bishop, Gens, Miller, & Rogers, 2002; Vidoni & Maddux, 2002).The essential skills for learning are no longer the memorization of facts or mere assimilation of knowledge (Ikpeze and Boyd)Learners are now asked to use technology to retrieve, gather, synthesize information.The goal of this study was to demonstrate how to integrate and use multiple tasks during WebQuests to facilitate thoughtful literacy (Ikpeze and Boyd)

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The different challenges involved in using WebQuests:The influence of multiple tasksMultiple tasks provided a variety of different learning opportunities, experiences with module learning, and exposure to other perspectives.Collaboration and social interactionStudents can role-playing in pairs or collaboratively in whole-group collaborative role-playing.Making thoughtful connectionsStudents learn to make connections between what was read and the world around them, the text, or themselves. The challenge of learning in a Web-based environmentStudents need to navigate their way around and to various websites or multimedia information.

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My Thoughts:Webquest are another way to engage and motivate the students in their learning. The most intriguing point made in this article is that WebQuests can facilitate thoughtful literacy when tasks are carefully selected, organized, and delivered.WebQuests are another resource for teachers to draw upon.

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BY LEIGHANN S. FORBESStatements from the article:The Internet can help students extend their thinking and achieve multiple objectives with a single lesson.It is also important to remember that just because children can't read words doesn't mean they can't recognize pictures or comprehend what they see (Scott, 2003, p. 43).Kindergarten students and students with special needs are often the ones who need exposure to Internet content most.

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Why use web-based bookmarking?Using Web-based bookmarking as a component of instruction allows teachers to provide visual cues for students and present high-interest, meaningful reading material from the Internet.For students, the use of Web-based bookmarking increases time on task and decreases frustration among those who can't read. It allows students to encounter letters, words, and grammatical structures in an authentic context.According to Skeele and Stefankiewic/ (2()O2). "It has been reported that computer activities produce the best results when combined with appropriate off-computer activities" (p. 84).

USING WEB-BASED BOOKMARKS IN K-8 SETTINGS: LINKING THE INTERNET TO INSTRUCTION

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My Thoughts: I have questions about using computer with kindergarten students. I agree full heartedly that computer activities must be paired with effective off-computer activities to help students make meaning full connections. Using websites with pictures can help struggling readers comprehend the website.

USING WEB-BASED BOOKMARKS IN K-8 SETTINGS: LINKING THE INTERNET TO INSTRUCTION

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BY LINDA B. GAMBRELLStatements from the article:The Reading at Risk report shows a continual decline in adults who read books during their leisure time.Perhaps even more revealing was the fact that the scarcity of the use of informational text was particularly acute for children in low-socioeconomic-status schools. During the 1990s, research began to turn to young children's exposure and to comprehension of expository genres (Dreher. Davis. Waynant. & Clewell, 1998; Duke, 2000; Kamil & Lane. 1997; appas. 1993). Pappas's (1993) landmark study raised significant questions about whether narrative text should be the primary or dominant text used with young children.

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Changes in the Culture of Reading:Provides has resulted in an increase in the reading of informational text for children and adults.Use of the Internet provides readers with more information on a topic and exposes them to multiple interpretations.The author agrees with Duke (2000) - it is not a matter of one genre or the other, but rather it is a matter of balance, and this is as true for traditional books as it is for electronic media.

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My Thoughts: Students today are harder to reach then they have been in the past and the Internet is a great was to hook them. A majority of schools have access to the Internet and it has become a valuable tool for teachers.The Internet provides students with different perspectives and different writing styles.

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The Internet has changed the way teachers teach and has become an invaluable resource. It serves as a tool to challenge students academically, provide instruction, and allows for students to explore different perspectives. What ten years ago was a luxury has become an essential piece of the classroom.

As an educator I am aware of the multiple uses the Internet has in a classroom. I am also aware that it is continually evolving and is a resource that needs to be continually reviewed.

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CITATION OF ARTICLES:Ikpeze, Chinwe; Boyd, Fenice (2007), Web-based inquiry learning: Facilitating thoughtful literacy with WebQuests, The Reading Teacher Vol. 60, No. 7 pp. 644654.

Gambrell, Linda (2005). Reading literature, reading text, reading the internet: The times they are a'changing. The Reading Teacher, Vol. 58, No. 6 pg.588-590.

Forbes, Leighann S. (2004), Using Web-based bookmarks in K-8 settings: Linking the Internet to instruction, The Reading Teacher Vol. 58, No. 2, pg. 148-153

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